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f(-ts 


[Brom  the  Proceedings  of  the  American  Association  for  the  Ada 
OF  SCIENCE,  Vol.  XXXIV,  Aun  Arbor  Meeting.  August,  1885.] 


FOR  THE  Advancement 


Relative  values  of  human  foods.  By  Maj.  Henry  E.  Alvord, 
Houghton  Farm,  Mountainville,  New  York,  N.  Y, 


[ABSTRACT.] 


There  are  different  ways  of  comparing  human  foods  upon  the 
score  of  economy.  If  one  attempts  to  consider  at  once  their 
digestibility,  chemical  composition  and  usual  cost,  besides  other 
conditions  which  should  not  be  ignored,  the  problem  becomes 
very  complex.  It  is  hard  to  define  the  average  human  stomach, 
and  we  are  so  much  in  the  dark  on  the  questions  of  actual' propor- 
tions of  digestibility  in  different  forms  of  food,  that  it  is  safer  to 
diop  this  factor  than  to  include  it.  Chemical  knowledge  of  foods 
and  their  market  prices,  are  sufficient,  when  combined,"  to  form  an 
interesting  study. 

The  basis  selected  for  comparison  is  all-important.  A casual 
observation  shows  the  necessity  of  separating  foods  into  two  grand 
divisions,  animal  and  vegetable,  and  of  selecting  a basis  for  each. 

If  any  food  could  be  found  in  common  use,  at  a fairly  steady 
price  and  useful  only  for  its  protein,  the  direct  value  or  cost  of 
protein  could  be  determined.  This  being  impracticable,  a stand- 
ard food,  like  average  ox-beef,  flesh  free  from  bone,  may  be  taken 
and  the  cost  of  protein  obtained  by  difference.  We  will  assume 
that  the  fats  of  average  beef  and  pure  lard  are  equivalent  in  nutri- 
tion and  wholly  digestible,  and  take  lard  at  12  cents  per  pound 
as  the  safest  base  for  animal  foods.  In  average  ox-beef  there  are 
5.2  per  cent  of  fats  and  23.4  per  cent  of  protein.  Placing  such 
beef  at  16  cts.  per  pound,  the  account  will  stand  thus  per  hundred- 


weight : 


100  lbs.  beef  . 
5.2  “ fat  . 

21.4  “ protein 


$ 16.00 


.624 

15.376 


(504) 


505 


SECTION  I. 


From  these  figures  is  obtained  the  cost  of  nutrients  in  animal 
foods,  viz. : — protein,  72  cts.  pr.  lb.  ; fats,  12  cts.  ; carboh^^drates, 

7 cts. 

The  old  German  ratio  of  carbohydrates  and  fats  of  1 : 2.5  so 
largely  adopted  in  this  country  was  never  fully  accepted  and  later 
investigations  show  its  inaccuracy.  We  are  well  supported  in 
substituting  1 : 1.75.  Therefore  to  get  carbohydrates  from  fats, 
deduct  43  per  cent  from  the  latter. 

For  vegetable  foods,  the  potato  is  unquestionably  the  best  basis, 
and  the  price  per  bushel  is  taken  at  60  cts.  or  $1.00  per  cwt.  Four 
cents  is  assigned  as  the  value  of  the  unextracted  starch  and  the 
other  carbohydrates,  and  by  a calculation  analogous  to  that  for 
beef,  potatoes  being  rated  as  about  20  per  cent  carbohydrates, 
the  value  of  nutritious  matter  in  vegetable  foods  is  fixed  thus: 

Protein,  10  cts.  per  lb.  ; carboln^drates,  4 cts.  per  Ib. 

Based  upon  these  values,  the  following  table  has  been  compiled. 

It  gives  the  chief  nutrients,  the  value  and  average  price,  ap- 
proximately, of  100  pounds  of  thirty  common  articles  of  food,  half 
animal  and  half  vegetable.  The  fats  are  included  in  the  column 
headed  carboh^^d rates.  A column  is  added  at  the  right  indicating 
by  the  signs,  plus  and  minus,  whether  the  usual  selling  price,  as 
stated,  is  more  or  less  than  the  food  value,  computed  as  above. 

[See  Table  on  next  page.] 

The  figures  for  the  chemical  composition  of  the  foods  named 
are  taken  from  such  authority  (see, appended  Note)  that  they 
can  hardly  be  questioned.  If  exceptions  are  taken  to  the  assumed 
prices  of  the  basic  articles,  it  is  manifest  that  by  a simple  calcula- 
tion based  upon  actually  existing  maiket  rates,  the  columns  of 
food  values  may  be  easily  reconstructed  to  suit  any  given  locality. 

The  column  of  average  market  price  is  simply  for  i llustration 
and  will  vary  with  time  and  place. 

This  inquiry  into  the  relative  value  of  human  foods  was  insti- 
tuted for  the  purpose  of  making  an  accurate  economic  comparison 
between  the  different  products  of  the  dairy  and  between  those  and 
standard  articles  of  diet.  Attention  is  invited  to  these  facts,  as 
exhibited  by  the  table. 


ECONOMIC  SCIENCE  AND  STATISTICS. 


506 


COMPOSITION  AND  VALUE  OF  FOODS. 


PER  ONE 

HUNDRED 

POUNDS. 

1 

1 

NAME. 

Protein. 

Carbo- 

Hydrates 

Value. 

Average 
Market  Price,  v 

Standard  Cows’  Milk 

4 00 

10  52 

$3  .54 

$3  25 

a 

Cows’  Milk  (average  all  kinds). .. . 

3 41 

11  23 

3 24 

2 79 

b 

Skimmed  Milk 

3 06 

6 15 

2 63 

1 77 

c 

Butter-milk 

3 78 

5 89 

3 13 

1 77 

d 

Cream 

3 70 

48  51 

6 06 

12  50 

Butter  

0 86 

146  05 

10  67 

25  00 

Fat  Cheese 

27  16 

55  78 

23  46 

14  00 

Average  Ox  Beef 

21  39 

9 08 

16  32 

16  32 

Fat  Veal 

18  88 

13  89 

14  57 

15  00 

Fat  Mutton 

14  80 

63  73 

15  12 

15  00 

Fat  Pork 

14  54 

65  35 

15  04 

13  00 

Domestic  Fowl  (fat) 

18  49 

17  54 

14  54 

16  00 

Hens’  Eggs 

12  55 

21  74 

10  56 

10  65 

e 

Salmon 

13  10 

12  67 

10  .32 

30  00 

Mackerel  

23  42 

11  83 

17  69 

10  00 

Cod  Fish  (dried) 

17  90 

2 25 

13  05 

8 00 

Oysters 

4 95 

3 27 

3 97 

10  00 

Fine  Wheat  Flour 

-8  91 

76  12 

3 94 

3 00 

Fine  Wheat  Bread 

6 82 

53  69 

2 83 

4 00 

Oat  Meal 

15  50 

74  37 

4 52 

3 00 

Potatoes  

1 79 

20  84 

1 01 

1 00 

Rice 

1 81 

76  61 

3 24 

6 00 

Beans 

23  56 

52  10 

4 44 

4 00 

Pease 

22  63 

56  25 

4 51 

5 00 

C.abbage. 

2 95 

9 24 

0 66 

1 00 

Onions  (red) 

1 68 

10  99 

0 61 

2 00 

Tomatoes 

1 25 

4 66 

0 31 

2 00 

Cane  Sugar 

0 35 

96  73 

3 90 

6 00 

Honey 

1 29 

81  43 

3 39 

25  00 

Apples 

0 39 

13  74 

0 59 

Peaches 

0 65 

12  -67 

0 57 

Grapes  

0 59 

17  11 

0 74 

Strawberries 

1 07 

8 48 

0 45 

Dried  Apples 

1 06 

55  97 

2 35 

Price 
?’tr  + 
or 

ess  — 
than 


+ 


Notes:— a,  7c.  per  qt.;  b,6c.perqt.;  c,  4c.  per  qt. ; d,  4c.  per  qt. ; e,  16c.  per  dozen 


507 


SECTION  I. 


Skim-milk,  butter-milk  and  cheese  at  their  usual  retail  prices, 
are  cheaper  as  nutritious  food  than  any  other  articles  on  the  list, 
and  are  approached  in  tliis  respect  onl}^  by  fresh  mackerel  and  dried 
cod-fish.  On  the  contraiy,  butter  costs  two  or  three  times  its 
real  food  value,  and  often  more.  What  shall  be  said  of  domestic 
economy  in  America,  where  more  butter  and  less  cheese  are 
consumed  per  capita  than  in  any  other  nation  in  our  zone?  And 
of  the  government  of  some  our  great  cities  where  Boards  of  Health 
absolutely  prohibit  the  sale  of  skimmed  milk  and  actually  destroy  all 
that  can  be  found  ? Of  butchers’  meats,  pork  and  mutton  are  the 
cheapest  and  veal  the  dearest.  Of  fish,  mackerel  is  the  cheapest 
while  salmon  and  oysters  are  about  as  dear  relatively  as  butter. 

Eggs  generall}^  sell  at  their  full  food  value.  Wheat-flour,  oat- 
meal and  beans  are  the  cheapest  forms  of  vegetable  food,  nearly 
all  other  vegetables  (except  potatoes)  as  well  as  the  fruits,  costing 
more  than  they  are  worth  for  their  nutritive  properties  alone. 

General  note  : Additional  Tables  have  been  prepared  to  accom- 
pany the  foregoing  on  the  same  plan,  but  with  several  additional 
columns  for  chemical  composition,  embracing  also  every  known 
article  of  human  food.  As  illustrating  their  completeness,  this 
classified  summary  is  given : flesh,  19  articles;  fish,  14  articles ; 
fowl,  eggs  and  game,  12  articles  ; dairy  products,  18  articles; 
cereals  and  legumes,  10  articles;  flour,  meal,  bread,  etc.,  17 
articles;  vegetables,  20  articles;  fruits,  20  articles,  and  sweets 
5 articles  : in  all  135  articles.  To  these  have  been  added  a Table, 
giving  the  amounts,  composition  and  nutritive  ratio  of  food  actually 
consumed  b}"  persons  of  different  ages  and  in  varied  occupations,  as 
observed  in  32  individuals.  All  these  Tables  are  compilations  on- 
ly and  are  mainly  translated  from  the  work  of  Dr.  J.  Koenig  entitled 
Zusammensetzung  der  menschlichen  Nahrungs  und  Genusmittel. 

Dr.  Koenig  collected  his  analyses  from  the  best  chemists,  naming 
his  authorities,  and  in  most  cases  gives  the  mean  of  a number  of 
analyses,  — as  for  example,  37  for  beef,  184  for  wheat,  70  for 
potatoes,  57  for  sugar,  17  for  apples,  89  for  butter,  100  for  cheese 
and  339  for  milk.  The  labor  of  translation,  with  the  recalculation 
of  weights,  values,  etc.,  and  careful  verification,  has  been  performed 
by  Mr.  F.  E.  Emery,  B.S.,  of  Maine,  my  principal  assistant  in  the 
Experiment  Department  of  Houghton  Farm. 


[Salem  Press,  June,  1886.] 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOI9-URBANA 


3 01 


